Brown Venture Prize

About this programme

The Brown Venture Prize (BVP) is a pitch competition run by the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown University, built to support the university's most advanced student ventures: teams who have identified a significant opportunity and whose ventures have the potential for impact at scale. It is sector-agnostic, open to commercial, social, or blended models.

Each spring, a small group of finalists pitches live on stage for funding, mentorship, and visibility meant to help launch them toward their next stage, whether that is more funding, customers, or a national accelerator. The 2026 competition was the ninth annual Brown Venture Prize; a judging panel of Brown alumni entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors selected eight finalists from all applicants.

Past winners include MediCircle, the 2021 first-place winner, which its founder credits with the confidence to build a service now providing free life-saving prescriptions to hundreds of patients; and Liberare, the 2020 second-place winner, which used its prize money to build its first product prototypes.

The 2026 first-place winner was Che Innovations, building NeoNest, a low-cost infant transport warmer made from a water jug to prevent neonatal hypothermia during ambulance transport in rural Uganda; Nematex, a biological method for sterilizing root knot nematodes, placed second; and HelpingHand Rx, a prescription-affordability navigator, placed third.

How it works

BVP awards $50,000 total in equity-free prize funding across three places: $25,000 for first, $15,000 for second, and $10,000 for third.

Winners also receive ongoing mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, industry experts, and Brown's wider entrepreneurial network, plus an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to New York City to meet venture capitalists, industry contacts, and other influential figures in the startup world.

Many BVP finalists have previously gone through B-Lab, the Nelson Center's summer accelerator, or received other venture funding, but neither is required to apply.

Who can apply

The venture must include at least one current Brown University student, undergraduate or graduate, as a founder; students graduating within the current academic year (fall or spring) are also eligible. Students from other institutions may participate as team members, but a Brown student founder is required.

Teams of 2 to 3 are encouraged, though solo founders may apply. All departments, disciplines and schools are welcome, and ventures may be for-profit or non-profit.

Successful applicants typically show a clear understanding of the unmet need they are addressing, a compelling value proposition, and a financially sustainable model to support growth and impact; the venture should be actively progressing toward launch or early traction, whether through customer discovery, prototyping, revenue, or early partnerships.

Finalists must be available for pre-pitch workshops, typically held in the weeks leading up to Pitch Night in March.

How to apply

1. Applications open in early December; prospective applicants are encouraged to request an application mentor by early December through the Nelson Center's mentor-matching form.
2. Submit the application by late January; submitting early is strongly recommended, since late applications are not accepted and technical issues near the deadline are common.
3. The Brown Venture Prize Selection Committee reviews all applications and notifies the top 8 finalist ventures in mid-February.
4. Contact entrepreneurship@brown.edu with questions about timing or eligibility.

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Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.